A/N:  Okay, I feel really stupid right now.  See, I was assuming that everyone was as obsessed with the old comics and cartoon as I was.  So I'm gonna answer a few questions because it seems that I've lost a few (dozen) people :)  First off, Jubilee is a real character.  Like Dr. Hank she had a small cameo in X2.  I think her one line was 'Professor, are you okay?'  She also had the cameo in the first movie, but it was cut and can now be found in the deleted scenes.  Second, (www.mutanthigh.com) is one of the best X-Men sites on the web.  Check out their site and on the main page click on the tab that reads 'life sciences'  Once there, click on Cerebra's files and there you'll find a directory of almost every X-character (mutant and non) ever created.  Confused about any characters, you'll find more than enough info there.  Third, Audrey is another OC of mine.  I've read dozens of stories where the new girl shows up and rooms with Marie or Kitty, so the only real way to be original there is to create your own roommate.  As for the setting of this story, it's not really AU.  Think post X3 (you know, Jean's alive again and there's way more characters that are supposed to be in the actual X3).  So it' set in the future of the movie-verse, though I've altered some ages a little to make 'em fit better.  There, that should answer some questions but if you have any more that I've overlooked or whatnot, feel free to e-mail me with them or submit them in your reviews.  Now I want to apologize because this has turned into somewhat of an essay.  On with the story…                   

Soundtrack Of My Life-Song #10:

"If you're losing sleep,

forgive me.

I just can't keep pretending…"

~Michelle Branch

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            I probably could've sandbagged and barricaded my door, nailed it shut and laid a brick wall in front of it, and I doubt it would've kept them out.  By 'them' I mean Paige and Jubilee.

            My new neighbors.

            My new, younger neighbors who don't have a class last hour like most of the older students. 

My new neighbors who decided that they would make good use of their downtime by coming over and introducing themselves. 

They stood in the doorway, one behind the other.  A tall blonde with pigtails and cut-off jeans to rival Daisy Duke's was standing in front, wearing a grin that froze the blood in my veins.  Then she pounced.  

"Hi, Ah'm Paige," the blonde said, shaking my hand vigorously after having pounding on my door for a full five minutes (I'd been hoping that they'd leave if they thought I wasn't there, but no such luck).  I'm telling you, I have never seen a girl with a harder grip than Paige.  I think she squeezed all the blood from my limb back into my heart.  Unfortunately she didn't do it long enough to kill me and put me out of my misery.  "Paige Guthrie.  It is so great to have you here with us!" she cried exuberantly.  "Wouldn't want those boys outnumbering us now, would we?" she asked, looking at me as if the answer was obvious.

            "No…because that would be just awful," I muttered in mock seriousness.  She completely missed the sarcasm in my voice.  I got the impression that that was a regular occurrence.

So let me bring you up to speed.  I spent an hour getting back into my bedroom, finally dodge enough flying literature to get past my psychopathic roommate, toss off enough sarcastic comments to then drive said roommate from the afore mentioned room, only to have it invaded by a walking eighties tribute in yellow pleather and a hayseed that would have made Laura Ingles Wilder look like a Cosmo writer from LA.  I felt like that poor coyote in the old Looney Tunes show.  You know, the one where every good idea the coyote has always backfires, he ends up with him getting hit with an ACME rocket, and by the end of the episode the poor guy (animal, whatever) is walking around in a cast with a black eye (sound like a certain someone) while the roadrunner stands on top of a cliff laughing and mocking him. 

I got the feeling that Jubilee was destined to be my roadrunner. 

I got that feeling in the minute Paige stepped out of the doorway and let the second girl through.

I got that feeling the instant I laid eyes on the fabled Jubilee.

            She didn't even bother with a handshake or an introduction.  No, no she went straight for the bear hug.  Yep, I was assaulted by a crazy Asian chick on my first day at school, how many kids can say that?  I later learned that almost every kid here could.  Jubilee is apparently a very tactile person…just never tell her that, 'cause then you have to explain what 'tactile' means, and then it just becomes a huge argument on definitions of words and Jubilee's lack of understanding of them, etc.  Trust me, Bobby tried to explain it one day and the results were not pretty.  But I'm getting off track again.  Where was I?  Oh yeah, being crushed by a girl half my size…

              "Welcome to the Institute!," the crazed hugger said to me.  Or rather, said to the shirt fabric on my shoulder as she pinned my arms to my sides with a strength that surprised me.  You know, I need a copy of First Impressions For Dummies because I can honestly admit that I have no idea what to do to shake off the hug of a perfect stranger.  However, not having that particular book in my collection (and not having had it thrown at me today), I decided to wing it.  Note to self, never wing anything EVER again.

            "Um…nice to meet you…whoever you are," I wheezed.  "But could you let me go…you're, um, cutting off my air supply."  She let me go and I dropped back to my feet…okay, to my foot, but let's not split hairs.  I was still standing afterward, which was impressive enough.  Crazy-hugger (which became my private nickname for her, just like 'Tall-Boy' had for Peter) had long, black hair and blue eyes.  Her features gave away the mystery of her Asian descent, and her grin gave away her perkiness. 

            "I'm sorry," she said.  Jeez!  For such a small person, she had a very loud voice.  She also didn't seem to feel that her behavior was at all odd.  Neither did Peg, or whatever her name was.  "It's just so nice to meet new people!  I'm Jubilee, by the way," she said, wrapping her arms about her waist like she was giving herself a hug.  "Actually, it's Jubilation Lee, but I just go by Jubilee." 

            "Good to know…" I said, regaining the feeling in my arms as well as my ability to breathe and speak normally.  I was remembering what Kitty had said earlier.

"Don't give Jubilee coffee…or anything with caffeine in it for that matter…no sugar either…"

I hadn't understood the seriousness behind those words until I met Jubilee, but boy was Kitty right.  This girl seemed to produce her own sugar-endued euphoric high.  I couldn't imagine what she would be like with caffeine in her system.   Well, actually I could picture it, but the picture was pretty frightening.  A shrill squeal yanked me out of my funk.  Jubilee was clutching her hands to her mouth.

            "Are you unpacking?" she asked sounding far, FAR too excited for my comfort.  I nodded, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.  She squealed again and threw herself onto my bed.  "Oh, let me help.  I'm great at organizing."  Without even waiting for a nod, she dove into my possessions, yanking them out and scattering them across the bed.  I shot Paige a look that I thought said very clearly 'is this normal?'  Paige obviously didn't speak the same silent language as me though, because her grin broadened and she flopped down beside her friend.   

            "Sure," I muttered bitterly under my breath.  "Feel free.  Just go through my stuff without asking.  I don't mind…"

No I wasn't at all upset.  I stumbled over and shut the door, giving Paige and Jubilee time to stick their noses into every remnant of my past life, and giving me something to do so I wouldn't cringe when I heard pages ripping and things cracking.

            "This all you have?" Jubilee called over from behind me, quickly grinding my last nerve.  I tried to resist…I really did, but my sarcasm and bitterness levels were just running too high for me to resist.

            "Yeah, well rolling your car over a twelve foot drop into a ditch in the middle of a monsoon will pretty much destroy anything…including most worldly possessions."  Oh yeah, there was a crap load of bitterness in that statement.  Pretty much wiped the smiles right off both their faces.  Jubilee went back to smoothing out the wrinkles in one of my shirts, which she had draped across her crossed legs.  I think it was one of the only pieces of clothing I had left.  Meanwhile, Paige had surreptitiously picking here way through an old photo album that had survived, although bits of glass would fall out when she turned the pages.  There were several seconds of awkward silence before Paige interjected.

            "So, what's your power?"  I almost dropped the book I was holding.  'What is this?' I thought.  'Mutant small talk?  Can't we just discuss sex and movies like normal girls?'  I really need a mute button for the little voice in my head, I decided right then, but while my brain was preoccupied with that idea I heard my mouth reply,

            "Oh, I blow up classmates, destroy people's lives, and am accountable for the deaths of household pets.  How 'bout you?"  Despite how cold my answer was, it was probably good my brain was on a temporary vacation while I spoke.  I…I just wasn't ready to tell the whole world about what had happened; about what I'd done.  I'd have to come to terms with that myself before I shared it with other people.  My snide comment stunned Paige enough that she didn't delve any deeper into my life. 

            Jubilee, however, was quickly reinforcing my belief that underneath that midnight black hair of hers, she was really blonde.  She completely missed the sarcasm and never even diverted her eyes from where she was picking glass shards from a pair of my blue jeans as she answered,

            "Oh, think of me as a human roman candle."  Paige stared.  I stared.  And once again Jubilee failed to notice.

            "Ooookay Jubes, I think you've had enough for one day," Paige muttered, breaking the silence for the second time today.  "C'mon, let's leave miss pleasant here to her work.  She's obviously busy…" she said, grabbing Jubilee by the shoulder, looking a little hurt.  Oh jeez, I hadn't meant to be that nasty.

            "Look Paige…I'm sorry…" I started.  But the blonde continued hauling Jubilee off the bed and began pushing her out the door, much to her disgruntlement. 

            "Paige, what are you doing…Stop, I wanna stay…"  But Paige was very bitter in her comments, and she wasn't being very gentle with her roommate either.  I hadn't meant to offend her that much.  I guess I was crabbier than I thought.

"No, no, Jubilee," Paige said, shoving her back out the door.  "We'll just be going no-Hey!"  The exclamation was due to the fact that I'd hobbled over and grabbed her shoulder just as she was walking out the door.  "What the hell-?"

"Look…I didn't mean to piss you off, and I appreciate the warm welcome, I really do," I tried to explain.  "It's just…it's just that I haven't been around this many people in almost a month and a half, and last time I was all hell broke lose."  I threw my hands in the air out of frustration and lack of a better thing to do with them.  Paige's temper was obviously not that easily quelled, however.  She snorted in my face.

"Whatever," she muttered, flipping her pigtails in the air as she left.

I slammed the door behind her and leaned against it, afraid that if I moved more people would show up and I'd just managed to piss them off as well.  I was getting the feeling that I would need as Master Smith lock for my bedroom as well as my mind.  Oy vey! 

            Figures, doesn't it?  Audrey was determined to make my every waking moment a nightmare, so why not ruin my sleep as well?  Yes, that's right, not only was she a crazed psychopath, but she snored too.  Just…freakin'…great!  By 2:00 am that night I'd already given up hope, so I decided to go for a little stroll to clear my head (and to prevent me from smothering my roommate with a pillow).  I ended up in the lounge at the end of the hall, sitting on the couch and idly channel surfing.  Let me assure you, it doesn't matter how many satellite channels you have, everything on during the graveyard shift is crap.  EVERYTHING.  I'm not sure how long I sat on that couch for, but eventually I turned off the TV and I must have drifted off to sleep because…

…The mountain loomed high in front of me, towering and lined with crags and ice.  I started climbing, hauling myself up one foot at a time.  I was making slow progress; my cleats kept slipping on lose rocks and I would dangle, hanging there in the pouring rain as the ground beneath me drifted farther and farther away.  The raindrops fell heavy around me as I scrambled for footing.  Kitty looked out at me from one glistening orb of moisture, Cassidy from another, Brittany from the next, Bryce from the following.  Their voices roared in a cacophony around my ears, their messages jumbled and obscured.  Finally I regained my footing, climbing higher as the air grew thin.  I could see the peak now.  My home was right up there…my family was waiting for me up there.  I scrambled and grasped and huffed until my hands clutched the apex beneath them.  But then…my right arm collapsed and flopped to my side, utterly useless.  My left leg followed suit.  I clung desperately with all the strength I had left, and just beyond my line of sight I heard footsteps coming towards me across the flat-topped butte.

"Please, help me," I pleaded to the figure.  The footsteps approached quicker.  My fingers were slipping.  Then I saw shoes, and the bottom of a pair of legs.  Help was getting closer…closer…until…

           

            "Ahh!" my hands flew to my mouth, reflexes helping me mask my surprised outburst.  Heart racing, my eyes flew open as I flew upright.

            "Ahhhh!" cried the guy standing right over me, flailing backwards and disappearing from sight behind the couch back.  Couch?  Where the hell was I?  I peered over the backing and onto the floor, where my surprisee lay sprawled out, spread-eagle style.  Blonde hair, blue eyes.  Boxers.  Four pack.  Nice!

            "Sorry," I murmured to the human carpet.  And I couldn't resist adding, "I guess that'll teach you not to sneak up on sleeping women."

            "Learned that lesson a long time ago," he explained, pulling himself off his ass.  "Thought you were a boy."  Great, nice abs and he could dish it out!  Two for one deal! 

            "Gee thanks, I'll remember to be more feminine next time you scare the shit out of me," I said.  "That'll make you screaming like a little girl sound way more masculine and imposing."

            "That's all I ask," he said, straightening up.  I fought down the urge to laugh.  For once, it wasn't me on the floor, haha!  "I'm Bobby, by the way.  Sorry I scarred you." 

            "Oh right, Icepick," I said, nodding.  He grumbled something under his breath, his face going beet red.  'Right, dumbass, that's what you're not supposed to call him,' I reminded myself.  Well too late now…besides, a kid that pale looked funny when he was out –blushing a cheery.  And he deserved it after that 'boy' comment.

            "Iceman," he corrected, and I noticed a small layer of hoarfrost forming around where his hands rested on the couch.

            "Same difference.  I'm Z-," I started.

            "Zoe, yeah I know."  I spent a full second thinking this guy must be another psychic, before recognizing his face from the crowd the day before.

            "Oh, so you saw yesterday's little incident?" I asked.  To my surprise, he snorted.

            "I think the entire school saw what happened and, trust me, that incident was far from little."  I groaned inwardly and threw up my hands.  The whole school probably thought that I was nuts (they were right, mind you, they just didn't need to know it).

            "Great, just fricken' great!"  Ice boy there chuckled, and while I considered telling him where to stick it, I decided against telling off the one person at this school that seemed (at least slightly) sane.

            "Yeah well, don't sweat it," he assured me.  "You've got a ways to go before you top my first week here."  That definitely piqued my interest.

            "Why?  What'd you do?"  Bob there turned red again, but this time because he was embarrassed, not angry.  He shifted his hands nervously over his bare arms, as if deciding whether or not his wanted to share his wisdom (once again, *snort*).  Finally,

            "I, uh…well I slipped in the shower, right?"  I nodded.  "So I grabbed onto the shower head to keep from falling-,"

            "Plenty of experience in that department," I chimed in helpfully, seriously liking where this story was going.  Bobbo then went on.

            "-Yeah, and well anyway, I ended up freezing every water pipe in the house solid."  Okay, I know I'm a terrible person for this, but I snorted at that.  And not mentally this time either.  This one was out loud.  I felt bad for it, I really did…but, c'mon, frozen pipes!  "We had to use bottled water for three days until all the pipes thawed, and we had to shower at the YMCA down the street." 

            "Okay, you beat the evil roommate experience hands-down," I conceded.  Ice kid's embarrassment seemed to fade a little at that.  "But my week ain't over yet, so there's still hope."  He outright laughed at that.

"Yeah, well here's hoping that my reputation remains intact…for your sake, at least."  He went to leave, but stopped in the doorway and looked back.  "You'll probably want to get dressed.  Breakfast'll be ready soon, and you don't want to go to your first day of class on an empty stomach," he said, turning to go.  'Trust me on that fact."  

            "Yeah…thanks," I muttered thickly through a yawn.  Stretching as I went, I hobbled down the hall, thrusting the dream to the back of my mind.  After so many weeks of sleeping with the aid of sedatives and painkillers, I'd forgotten about how bad the dreams were.  But no matter, more important things to worry about at the time. 

Kids in various pajamas and looking various shades of exhausted were beginning to emerge from closed doors.  I wondered dimly about what I was going to wear today.  Jean had given me a spare change, but I'd worn it yesterday.  Oh well maybe that Kitty chick would lend me a shirt or something.  I reached my door and turned the knob…or I tried to turn the knob.  It didn't budge.

            "Oh you have GOT to be kidding me," I muttered, turning harder and rattling the metal orb loudly to no avail.  "AUDREY!"  At this rate, Bobby's record wouldn't stand a chance.

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A/N:  Now go review…oh, and BTW.  I just realized that if Zoe lives long enough, she's going to need a codename.  I've got a few things in mind, but I'd like to hear your suggestions before I decided on one.  If you have an idea please e-mail it to me (my addy's in my profile).  Don't send it in a review 'cause I'd like to keep it anonymous and a secret until I choose to reveal it.  Thanks!